Tell Me What You Did

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussions of violence, death, emotional abuse, substance abuse, and stalking.

“IH: Good. Here we go. Tell Me What You Did.”

The novel opens with the transcript of a live-streamed conversation between Hindley and Poe, dropping the readers into the midst of their confrontation. The first chapter makes it clear that their conversation is a reversal of the usual dynamic, with Poe going from interviewer to interviewee. Wilson establishes the novel’s unique structure and the pervasive presence of technology throughout the narrative.

“My guests? They’re seeking fame in a sick kind of way. Sure, some of them truly feel massive relief confessing their crimes on a national platform, and by last count, nearly 30 percent have shed tears in the process. But they could confess anywhere. They want to do it here because, if the story is interesting enough, it’ll create a buzz online.”

Poe’s analysis of her guests plays into the novel’s examination of The Impact of True-Crime Media. She acknowledges that many of the criminals who call into her show are seeking attention for their crimes, which they are likely to receive. Providing violent criminals a platform to confess to millions of interested listeners risks encouraging or glorifying their actions.

“The conversation we’ve had a half dozen times in our relationship is over his spidey-sense that I’m not being truthful. That I’m hiding something from him, not letting him see the real me. I’ve compensated by telling him every last bit about my past with a couple of major exceptions. He doesn’t know what happened to my mother, much less what I did about it.”

Wilson establishes Poe’s struggle to be honest with her loved ones. Her inability to tell Kip the truth about her past impedes the progress of her relationship, illustrating how her lack of vulnerability hurts her and the people who care for her.